Brian Bobroff | Flight Centre Independent | Home Based Travel Agent
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Brian Bobroff

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Posted on: Tuesday November 15, 2016
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Ancient Egypt: More than Tombs Part 2

Flight Centre’s Brian Bobroff is back again to continue his amazing blog series from his travels through Egypt during an On the Go Tour. Brian again explores the science and history of the locations we call ‘vacation destinations’. In today’s post Brian visits the Sphinx, Luxor and the Temple of Karnak, Papyrus Gallery, and the Valley of the Kings before heading off to Dahab.

After our visit to the pyramids, we picked up our ride to the Sphinx. I am not much for SUV limos, so fortunately they set us up with a camel train. Initially, I was not sure about it, but it turned out to be a fun experience. We had guides holding onto our camels to make sure they did not take off into the dune sea. My guide liked the shirt I was wearing and I passed it on to him so he could give it to his son who was either 18 or 19 (he was not sure). As we were moving along and getting close to the Sphinx, I saw a man race by on horseback. I was more focused on the limestone man’s head with the body of a lion than the woman on horseback that followed who was yelling at the man on horseback to take it easy. A few moments later, our On the Go guide Miles, burst over a sand dune to tell us he just saw Shania Twain ride by. That shows just how questionable my priorities are when looking at famous things! I guess I pick the Sphinx over the country pop queen of Canada.

The Sphinx itself is really an impressive site as well as all of the buildings around it. It is also a place where you can buy a stuffed camel that dances when you make noises. I asked Sherif why most Egyptian monuments show precision that cannot be matched by modern technology, and yet the head of the Sphinx is clearly out of proportion with the body. His answer was that it was carved out of one piece of stone. Though I can understand why that may add a high degree of challenge, I was not satisfied with that answer. I have read theories that it was originally a full lion and a Pharaoh just carved his head over top, or that one or various Pharaohs may have placed their head over the previous carving. It is still perplexing that they would have done anything on that scale that was not much closer to perfection. Despite the technology to create this, I cannot fix my own roof leak in a house that is at least 4500 years younger than this old lion.

After our visit it was time to take the overnight train to Luxor. We had upgraded to the 1st class sleeper cabins. Sounds posh but it’s less than $100 and guarantees a double room. I can say that this journey was the most fun experience via rail of my lifetime. That said, I cannot think of any specific moments to mention! We rolled slowly into Luxor very early in the morning and were mercifully given time to rest at the beautiful Steinberger Nile Hotel.

Luxor was oppressively hot, that much was clear, so it was really important to slather on the sunscreen! Our first stop of the day was the Temple of Karnak. This was a phenomenal structure that words could never do justice. The sheer scope and megalomania that thankfully inspired the pillars, massive statues, towering obelisks (at least the ones that were not stolen away by corrupt officials to send abroad) and carvings that have told their stories for centuries. Due to the heat, a lot of my group headed back quickly. I broke off and tried to take in as much as possible. It was fascinating to witness obelisks in particular. I instantly recalled the disdain that captured me in Paris at Place de la Concorde where I saw the partner to this fantastic stone. I had not yet read “The Magic of Obelisks” by Peter Tompkins, but I just knew that it was not supposed to be in Paris. However, the story of the difficulty and luck involved in moving it away was impressive. Just remember, they always come in two. Wherever you see one, it used to have a partner.

After realizing that I was the only person left in my group anywhere on the site I ran quickly back to the bus area. That led to the next lesson; do not run in desert heat when you are currently out of water. Fortunately, the coach always had water on hand at prices lower than you would pay at home – and much lower than the prices on the street!

We headed back to Luxor for a clean up and then off on our felucca ride to the temple of Luxor and more Egyptian brilliance in architecture. Seeing the temple lit up at night added to the already otherworldly sensation of being in a place that has looked much the same for centuries and has awed and inspired millions of people over the ages. Both the temples at Luxor and Karnak have numerous examples of the Egyptians commemorating the Precession of the Equinoxes which is vital to so many astronomically based ancient cultures. Of course, no mention from anyone in Egypt, but it is visible in the gods that people shifted their focus to from one period to the next. Hathor was one of the main gods during the time of Taurus. Amon during the time of Ares. There are some great clips on Google Video that explain this very well. Look for the Great Year video. Interestingly, when recently in Tulum, our Mayan guide explicitly talked about their connection to the Great Year which was refreshing to hear that Mayan ancient knowledge is not spurned as it is in Egypt.

Next, we visited a Papyrus Gallery where we learned about this very rugged and durable plant and its myriad uses and saw numerous beautiful paintings. I finally succumbed to the need to get several souvenirs here as I knew that I would need an Egyptian Zodiac (see previous Egypt blog post about my interest in ancient astronomy).

The next day was another early start to avoid the heat, which was helpful but moot once the sun is up. It is not hard to see why Ra was the big man of the Egyptian pantheon. Our day began with a short drive to the Valley of the Kings (and then Valley of the Queens) where we were able to visit three tombs. The vivid colours in each tomb with scenes found in the Egyptian Book of the Dead (also known as the Great Book of Transformation) and other fantastic clues into the minds of the people who created all the monuments that have achieved immortality. Next up was the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut. This place was lovingly referred to as the temple of Hot Chicken Soup which makes me wonder how it relates to Chicken Pizza (aka Chichen Itza in the Yucatan of Mexico). Speaking of Mexican connections, the main pyramids in Mexico along with the Great Pyramids of Giza are all built at latitude 19.5 degrees. Climate coincidence, or is there another connection? Anyway, after an entertaining stop at a stoneworkers shop (where they cannot build on that small scale anything near what we witness from their ancestors, but still worth bringing home), we prepared for our overnight bus ride to Dahab.

Goat on Donkey in EgyptIt is not a short bus ride to Dahab. It was here that I really realized how bad it was to forget my travel pillow. Our coach had some issues in the middle of nowhere around 1am. We thought that we were going to be dealing with this issue for a very long time, however within 10 minutes there were people from the bus company there to fix things (this is not an exaggeration)! Apparently, they have people all around who are ready to help at a moment’s notice and within a few minutes we were back en route! Along the road we were witness to new ways to make money – simply place a goat on a donkey and ask for money to take pictures. Now go start making your millions!

For more information on traveling to Egypt or an On the Go Tour contact Brian Bobroff @ brian.bobroff@flightcentreassociates.com

Name:
Brian Bobroff

Location:
Toronto, Ontario

Contact Number:
416 658 1888

Email:
brian.bobroff@fcitravel.ca

About Brian:

I run my personal travel business in partnership with a company known throughout Canada for wonderful travel experiences at amazing prices - Flight Centre


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  • phone 416 658 1888
  • email brian.bobroff@fcitravel.ca
  • web flightcentreindependent.ca/BrianBobroff
  • address Toronto, Ontario, Canada